10 Signs Your Kitty Actually Loves You

Ever wondered if your kitty really loves you?
From finicky to feisty, our feline friends aren’t always the easiest to read. Unlike dogs who make their affection for us loud and clear, cats have far less obvious ways of communicating how they feel.
If you want to discover just how much your cat cares about you, then check out these 10 signs of true love:

1. Head butting. If a person were to do it to you, then you’d have a pretty good idea of what they were trying to tell you, but with a cat it’s a whole different story. To be on the receiving end of what is actually known in the cat world as ‘head bunting‘ is a very special privilege indeed. During this exchange your cat deposits facial pheromones that represent their feelings of trust and safety they have with you.

2. Powerful purrs. Cats purr for all sorts of reasons, but there is one unique full bodied rumble that your kitty saves exclusively for their true love. Purring also lowers your kitty’s heart rate and helps them to relax and exhibit feelings of contentment.

3. Love bites. If your cat is a chronic nibbler, then chances are they’ve got a thing for you. It’s pretty easy to tell the difference between a love bite and a regular cat bite, one hurts and the other tickles! Nibbling isn’t a common sign of love, but when a cat employs it, they’re trying to say “you’re awesome.”

4. Tail twitching. You can tell a lot by looking at a cat’s tail. Just as their tails puff out when they get scared or agitated, their tail will twitch at the very tip when they are feeling bliss. If you notice this action when your cat approaches you, then you can be sure that they think you rock their world.

5. Tummy up. When your cat throws itself on the floor and starts rolling around, they are trying to get your attention. Cats only show their tummies voluntarily to those they can trust. Feeling safe means a lot to a cat, so when they sprawl out in front of you, this is a sign that they feel loved and protected.

6. Licking your hair or ears. It’s not often that humans are deemed worthy of these very special grooming sessions, but if your cat has chosen to bestow you with hair or ear licking, rest assured you have been welcomed into the inner circle. Grooming is one of the most obvious signs of the friendship and trust you have with your furry companion.

7. Kneading. Kittens knead against their mothers to stimulate milk production, which is why experts believe that kneading behavior in cats is nostalgic of kittenhood and acts as a way of reliving the happy moments they experienced as little ones. So next time your kitty starts moving its paws up and down on you, remember that they are not just trying to soften you up before taking a nap, but that they’re expressing their adoration for you.

8. Slow blinking. It is said that cats kiss with their eyes, so don’t expect to share this sign of affection with any old cat. Cats save eye contact for people they know and trust. If that eye contact is coupled with slow blinking then you’ve just received a kitty kiss. Return the love by mimicking the behavior.

9. Nap time. Kitties crave warm safe places to sleep, so if your fluffy feline decides to snuggle down beside you or better yet, on your lap, then you should feel especially honored. Cats are most vulnerable when they are sleeping, and there is no greater compliment than when they choose you as their snooze spot.

10. Gifting. There is no denying that a small dead something is not at the top of our wishlist, but a kitty that presents you with this bounty deserves to be praised. Despite our domestication, cats still have the inner hunter and sharing their prizes with you is a sign of true friendship.

If you’ve been fortunate enough to share your life with a cat, then you’ll understand that they are consciously connecting with us. Whether it’s via grooming, purring or snuggling up, cats are loving and affectionate individuals that form very special bonds with their favorite people.

I guess I'm loved, then. Mac sleeps on me, kneads on me, twitches the end of his tail when he sees me, goes belly up a lot, grooms me, and purrs all the time. Kimba does the eye-blink thing, purrs, sits on my lap all of the time while head-butting me or giving me love bites. I am a very lucky meowmie. I try to return this great love every chance I have! There is nothing that compares to the love of a furbaby!

Cassie gives me head bumpies and flops herself down by my feet She has a soft, low purrrr that I hear sometimes when she is very comfortable. She has never been a lap kitty, though.

I've been Boo'd... right off the stage!

Aaahh, I have been defrosted! Thank you, Bonny and Asiel!
Brrrr, I've been Frosted! Thank you, Asiel and Pomtzu!

"That's the power of kittens (and puppies too, of course): They can reduce us to quivering masses of Jell-O in about two seconds flat and make us like it. Good thing they don't have opposable thumbs or they'd surely have taken over the world by now." -- Paul Lukas

I simply adore when my cats display these characteristics, especially my girls since they are very much what the outside world considers to be "typical" cats (you know what I mean). Martha in particular. She took such a long time to open up to us when she came to live here. It's still rare for her to snuggle, but she is the queen of headbutting and lovebiting.

Spike is SUCH a belly-kitty! Every night he sits between me and my SO, gives belly and starts kneading in the air, purring like a motor. He's a great big cat so there's a lot to scritch. Moby and Diamond are my head-bumpy kitties. My foster Marney "strops" herself on my legs at feeding time (I wonder why this behavior isn't mentioned? More marking.) Bosun is just a grump. If I had known how successful Grumpy Cat (TM) was I'd have nominated Bosun for the title.

All those things plus the fact that My Found Hotel Cats and Porch Cats all run to see me. I remember one day when I was being trailed to the Found Cat Hotel by Four Cats!!!!
Of course it may have been the food , but I hope that it was me too.
I love it when a Cat who was scared becomes My Friend.